Hinrich Kozik

Victoria University of Wellington

A case for Q? An application of Q-methodology

Q-methodology (or simply 'Q') provides a foundation for the systematic study of subjectivity, a person's viewpoint, opinion, beliefs, attitude, and the like. In Q-methodology people (and not their traits) are subject to correlation and factorisation: instead of scoring a large number of people on a small number of variables, Q-methodology requires a small number of people to rank-order a relatively large number of test items, such as statements, and then factorises these scores. Although there is plenty of evidence of controversy and peer criticism regarding Q-methodology (particularly up until the late 1960s) it is now being widely adopted as a means of investigation for attitude measurement, particularly in North America. Using an application of Q-methodology (my exploratory MA research on impacts of telecommuting on people with disability) the talk will introduce the audience to the basics of Q.